cricket wrote:Question: if two players' units are already in a hex, what happens when a third enters? Do both "defenders" have the option of accepting/declining battle?

Why not? And if one of the defenders accepts battle, then perhaps the other would have the option to join battle on either side? And if both accept battle, guess they've already decided on assisting each other?

cricket wrote:Not sure I see an improvement on (or even a real change to) the current conditions.

I dunno -- these names seem clearer to me, and there's also the MUST attack requirement: warring units can't coexist.

This (or, in fact, the current system) might allow multiple players' units in the same hex. Most games don't allow this, because it makes ownership of a system unclear.

But this interests me...

Control of a system goes to whomever has the most bases in the system. If no bases are present, control goes to whomever has the most armies.

You'll need some rule for ties in numbers of bases and armies, but sure. This also allows allies to "take over" each other's systems without combat.

A couple changes would have to be made to the movement process:

1) When a stack enters a hex containing opposing units, the moving player declares if he/she will attack.

2) If the moving player declines to attack, the opposing player declares if he/she will attack.

3) If neither player attacks, the stack may remain in the hex or continue its move.

It must also be possible to declare an attack after moving zero hexes ("My frigates in Gamma Fallopia suddenly launch missiles at your base!"), but no special rule is needed if movement is "up to" three hexes.

Question: if two players' units are already in a hex, what happens when a third enters? Do both "defenders" have the option of accepting/declining battle?

Yes. The simplest rule is probably that the intruder declares first, then each of the other players in clockwise order. Each player could declare for either side.

mundungus wrote:1) the attacker (player inflicting the casualties) decide which side takes them, although the target still chooses which units.

Huh. I was going to go with something simple, like "casualties are allocated evenly among the players on each side".

That could work, but then you have to roll dice or something to resolve ties. All other things being equal, I like decisions better than dice. Allowing the attacker to decide also corresponds better to the results of playing out a battle in Starmada, where shots will be taken at particular ships.

mundungus wrote:That could work, but then you have to roll dice or something to resolve ties. All other things being equal, I like decisions better than dice. Allowing the attacker to decide also corresponds better to the results of playing out a battle in Starmada, where shots will be taken at particular ships.

Okay.

Casualties are allocated evenly. Excess hits are assigned by the opposing side.